Shigaraki-ware Coarse-grained teaware B (200ml)

This is a coarse-grained clay bubble bottle from Sotouen.

Sotouen is a Shigaraki ware manufacturer that shapes each piece on a potter's wheel and fires them in a traditional climbing kiln. Inheriting the wood-fired kiln from the Edo period from the prestigious Ueda Nogata family, Sotouen continues to produce pieces that capture the texture of Shigaraki clay and the rich expression of wood-fired kilns.

(It is also famous as the filming location for the NHK morning drama series "Scarlet.")

Shigaraki is a region with a deep connection to tea. Many tea masters used Shigaraki ware. From the 1600s onwards, it became common for the Tokugawa Shogunate and other feudal lords to send Uji tea in Shigaraki tea jars. Shigaraki is also known as a region where tea utensils such as matcha bowls and teapots are produced, and it is known as a region where tea pottery is thriving.

Shigaraki clay is coarse and has a taste of earth. By firing Shigaraki clay in the strong flames of a wood-fired kiln, it becomes the brown color that is characteristic of Shigaraki ware. The main fuel for wood-fired kilns is red pine. The firing period is about one week, and the temperature rises to 1300-1500°C. Incidentally, the wood-fired kiln itself is also made of Shigaraki clay (the second-to-last image of the clay).

Each bottle is hand-formed on a potter's wheel, so there are lines on the sides of the bottle from the wheel. It has a nice texture that gives you a real feel of the earth. Small minerals contained in the clay glow slightly when exposed to light. You can tell that Shigaraki ware is pottery made by the nature of Shigaraki.

A bubble teapot has no handle and is easy to use. The inside is glazed, so it does not absorb much of the tea's aroma and can be used for a variety of teas. There is a line carved near the spout for pouring hot water. It has a simple structure that makes it easy to put away tea leaves and wash.

Awabi is often used for brewing green tea, but it can also be used for Chinese teas such as rock tea and oolong tea, and Taiwanese tea. I think the good thing about awabi is that it takes up less storage space than a typical Yokote teapot and is easy to use.

Maker: Sotouen (Shiga)

Forming: Wheel-throwing

Firing: Wood-fired kiln

Type: Ceramic

Size: Total length approx. 12cm, bottom diameter approx. 5.3cm, height approx. 8.5cm

Capacity: Full capacity 200ml, practical use 150-160ml

Weight: Approx. 235g

Packaging: Paper box

Note: As each piece is handcrafted there will be slight variations. The outside is unglazed and the inside is glazed.

If you fill the teapot to the brim, it will become hot up to the edge. We recommend filling the teapot to about 70% of its capacity.

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Shigaraki ware is one of the six ancient kilns of Japan (Seto, Tokoname, Echizen, Tamba, Bizen, and Shigaraki). Shigaraki was located at the bottom of a lake in ancient times, so it is blessed with high-quality clay. The origin of Shigaraki ware dates back to 742, when the capital was moved to this place.It is said that they started out by making tiles for buildings in the capital. After that, there was a period of decline in pottery production, but in the second half of the 13th century, they started making seed jars and water jars.

In the second half of the 15th century, Japanese pottery began to be used as utensils in the tea ceremony. Shigaraki ware, along with Bizen ware, was the earliest pottery used as tea utensils.From the 17th century onwards, tea jars to hold tea leaves presented to the Shogun and feudal lords were also produced in Shigaraki.

Shigaraki ware is deeply connected to tea and is a type of pottery loved by many tea masters. Being close to Kyoto and Osaka, where the tea ceremony was popular, many matcha bowls, flower vases, and sencha utensils were produced. The appeal of Shigaraki ware lies in the texture of Shigaraki's clay, which gives a natural feel, and the rich expression achieved by firing in a wood-fired kiln.